Peanut harvester



E. KRAUS March 27', 1945.

PEANUT HARVESTER Filed April 29,'1943 4 shee-tssheet 2 March 27, 1945. I E,` KRAU-s v 2,372,586

PEANUT HARVESTER Filed April 29, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 www.

March 27,k 1945. EyKAUS 4 2,372,586

PENU` HARVESTER v Filed April 29, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 27, 1945 UNITED. STATES PATENT GFFICE PEANUT HARVESTER Edmund Kraus, San Antonio, Tex.v Application March 29, 1943, Serial No. 480,997

l1 Claims.

,This invention relates to peanut harvesters. An object of this invention is to provide a machine for digging the peanuts from at least two rows, conveying the peanuts rearwardly of the machine, and periodically discharging the peanuts in broken elongated piles on top of. the

ground. a.

Another object of thisinvention is to provide a machine of this type which may be coupled to a tractor or may be horsedrawn, the machine collecting the peanuts until a predetermined quantity has been collected and thereupon discharging the peanuts upon the ground, thus facilitating the subsequent collection thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a machine of this type embodying a pair of digging plows, rotatable pick-up means for lifting the peanuts including the plants, oscillatable fingers for removing the peanuts from the pickup means, conveying means for moving the peanuts rearwardly, a guide over which the peanuts are adapted to travel, a rear spring-pressed gate structure for holding and collecting the peanuts on the guide, and opposed ngers carried by a rear conveyor for pushing the peanuts collected on the guide throughthe gate structure.

To the foregoing objects and others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of theinvention as claimed.

Figure 1 is atop plan partly broken away of a on the line on the line on the line view taken Figure is a sectional View taken 3-8 of Fig. 2.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken 99 of Fig. 1.

f Figure 10 is a sectional view taken on the line III-100i Fig. 1.

on the line on the line on the line on the line I on the line y Referring to the drawings, the numeral I5 designates generally a frame structure including elongated side members I6 and I1 connected together at their rear ends by a connecting bar I8, and connected together intermediate their ends by connecting bars I9 and20. A transverse drive shaft 2I is journalled in the forward end portions of the side members I6 and I1, and has secured thereto a pairof ground engaging wheels 22. A pair of longitudinal frame members 23 and 24 are disposed within the frame I5, being secured at their rear ends to the transverse frame member 2i! and extending forwardly of the drive shaft 2 I. Suitable draft Aor coupling means may be secured to the forward ends of the longitudinal members 23 and 24 for connecting the attachment to the rear end of a tractor or for connecting a horse or the like thereto. An angled bracing member 25 is secured at one end to the transverse frame member 20 and extends forwardly and outwardly and is secured to the outer frame member I6. A rear bracing or weight member 26 is secured across the angle or corner` formed by the rear frame member I8 and the side frame Inem-l ber I1.

The rear end of the frame I5 is' supported by a caster wheel structure including a vertically disposed shaft 21 which is journalled at its upper end through the rear frame member I8, being provided with a lower, collar 28 and an upper removable collar 29. A downwardly and rearwardly extending bracing member 30 is secured at its forward upper end to the transverse frame member I9, and is provided at its rear lower end with a bearing 3| through which the vertical shaft I1 is rotatablymounted. A fork 32 is secured to the lower end of the shaft 21, anda wheel 33 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 34 extending between the arms of the fork 32. The longitudinal frame members 23 and 24 have secured thereto vertically disposed plow supporting bars 35 and 35, respectively, which have secured to the lower -ends thereof plow members 31 and 38. The plow supporting bars and the plows are of like construction andas shown in Figure 3, are vertically adjusted relative to the frame I5 by securing bolts 39 which engage through selected openings 40 formed' in the plow supporting bars. A picker shaft 4I is journalled in bearings 42 which are secured to the rear sides of the vertical plow supporting bars 36 and` 35 and the bearings 42 may be vertically adjusted along the length of the bars 35 and 36 to properly position the shaft 4I with respect to the plows 31 and 38. Apair of rotatable. picker members 43 and 44, which are of like construction, are fixed to the shaft 4| between the two plows 3'! and 38, and each picker member includes a hub member having secured thereto a plurality of elongated longitudinally curved tines 46. The tines 46 are adapted to pick up the loosened peanut plants, and'the loosened plants are adapted to be moved rearwardly of the frame I5 by a conveying means to be hereinafter described.

The shaftfvll is rotated by meanssofi achain 4l which-is trained about a sprocket 48| loosely mounted on the shaft 2|. The sprocket 48 has secured to one side thereof one portion of a toothed clutch element`49, and a complementary toothed clutch element 50 is slidable on theshaft 4I, being held against rotation by means ofa.

key 5| which is secured to the shaft 2|. The clutch element 50 is formed withan annular groove 52 with which a conventional clutchoperating collar may be engaged, and the collar may be shifted througnaconventional leverage meansl (not shown); Tlieshaft' 4|. has 'secured thereto'-y a sprocket. 53 whichis disposed between the two picker memberszlifand 44a-nd theshaft 41.' is rotated in' al counterclockwise directiomas viewedin Figures 2 ands.

In' order toi provide. a. means'.I whereby the peanut'y plants vmay bei removed' fromithe .tines or picking fingers 45,1' have provided: a plurality ofoscillatable ngerszor bars 5'4' whichareslidably mounted through a stationary barx55 having openings 56 througnwhiclrthe bars or. fingers 54 loosely engage.` The bar55 is supported be.- low the framemembersl 22: and 23.by supporting membersw'. The' upper ends of the bars -or iin gersil: are. provided with eyes-or. bearing members 5B: Whicln are mounted on the offsets 59 of a4 crank shaft 60: Thecrankish'aft: 80- is jour'- nalled in bearings fI: secured to' the lower; sides of thefranre membersz2ff3. and 2||l A' sprocket 62 is secured tothe.l crank :shaft betweenthei two offsets 55and1engages the upper'or forward run of the chain 47; The1 forward: run 41a of the chainV del is heldinengagement with'rthe sprocket 62 by means of an idler sprocket 63 which is secured. to; an'l idler sprocket .support 6.4' supported between tli'ertwo shafts`4I. andilir.

The peanutlplantswhich:arezremove'd fromthe picking tinesfll'by theoscillatingingers or bars 54:'are thrown rearwardly against as pair of conveying members generally designatedl as- 65= and 616.. The conveying.' members 65 andv 55- are of like construction; and" ea'chi includes." a= chain 61 which is trained about a-pairofsprockets 58 and G9. The sprockets'and 69 a-resecured to the lower? ends of` rotatable shafts 10.? and '15| respectively, the shafts 'I0 and T-I beingrdispcsed: in a vertical position and journalledin bearings i2 andy 13 carried by the. frame I5. TheV shaftsv 'I0 and 'II are rotatedfromaa shaft hlwhich is journalled .in a bearing 'i5 carried' by;v the upper sides of the'frameiniembers 23- and` 2.4.* The shaft 'i4 is disposed: rearwardlyofthedrive shaft 2| and is rotated from the drive-.shaft 2-| by'meansaof a chain 'i'which'is trainedlabout'a second sprocket 'il' whichzissloose onfthexshaftzl and is xed: relative to the sprocket 40; A collarl-.is secured to theshaft 2| and holdsfthedouble sprocket'struc` ture 48'and7'lf against endwisemovement in one direction. The dioubiev sprocketstructure may be held against endwise: movement in the opposite direction by means .of apin '19 extending'through thegshaft 2| andproje'cting atthe'fopposit'ef ends thereof' into an annular groove: or recessl 80 formed in the outer side of the-sprocketfll. The

chain 19 is also trained about a sprocket 8| which is secured to the shaft i4.' The shaft 74 has secured thereto a pair of bevelled gears 82 and a bevelled gear 'S3 is secured to the upper ends of the two shafts 'l0 and meshes with an adjacent gear 82.

The shafts 'Iii also have fixed thereto a sprocket 84 disposed above the sprocket 68, and a chain 85 is trained about the sprocket 84. The shafts 69 have xed vthereto a sprocket-85 disposed above the sprockets 69'. The conveyorchains 6l' have securedthereto a plurality of U-shaped conveying members 8l which include a vertically disposed bight 88 and outwardly projecting arms 89. The arms 89 comprise the supporting means for supporting. the plants and conveying the same rearwardly. The two conveying members 65 and lhave their adjacent or inner runs disposed in parallel relation, and these inner runs travel rearwardly and angularly with respect to the f1ame1I5, as shown inFigure. l. The plants conveyed by'th'econveying'members 55 and 66A are removed from the: supporting. members 8l by means of. opposed.; pairs oftoothedy wheels 90 and 9|. The wheels 90 and 91| areamounted on verticallydisposed shafts 92v and 93'-, respectively, which are journalled in bearings 94. The shafts 92 and 93arerotated'by means of chains 95fand 96, respectively, whichY are trainedv about sprocketsgl: and 98 carried by; the rear pair of shafts 7i: The chains 95 and 95 alsoare-trained about sprocketsv 98 and 99 secured to the shafts 92. and 9-3', respectively. As shown in Figure 2, the rotatable toothed members'SIl andf9| are mounted on' the .lower endsrof the supporting shafts, there being two toothed memberson. each shaft disposedin spaced' apart relation and-disposed betweenthe arms 890i the conveying members 3l. The. toothed membersf 9| rotate' in aI clockwise 40 direction, whereas theftoothedmembers 90 rotate in a counter-clockwise direction.

A guide membei`- |00 is disposed belowl thc frame I5; andhas-the forward` end.' thereof disposedfbelow the pairsof' toothed' wheels 90 and 9|. The guide-memberv |00; shown more clearly in Figure T, c'omprisesa V-shapedmember |0| disposed in inverted? position and formed with horizontal outer portions |02' and upwardly. direotedouter flanges |03.A The guide member |09 tapers rearwardly with the-smallerendforemcst, andis disposed below ay pair. of conveying members |04V and |05. The'conveying members |04 andi |05 are disposedy in' rearwardly divergent relation, and each of the latter conveyors includesa chain Iwhichxis trained about a pair of sprockets |07 and I 08. The sprocket I0`| is secured to'. at vertically disposed shaftA |09 journalled in al bearing- ||0 carrie'dby the frame I5, and the rear sprocket I 08 is secured4v to a vertically disposed shaft I.I'Ik journalled iny a bearing |I2 carried by the frame I5. The shaft |03` has secured thereto` a sprocket I I3 and a chain |I4 is trained about the sprocket III3: andk valso abouti a sprocket:` |19 xed totheshaft 931 The shaft 92 has a similar sprocket IIB fixed thereto aboutwhich achairr Iltis-trained, an'd this' latter chain engages a sprocket II' 3 secured to the seconclvertical shaft |09'v forI operating the conveyor |04. The two conveyors |04'and |05lhave their inner runs moving rearwardly for moving the plants rearwardly along the guide' |00; and each chain |06 has secured tothe links'v thereof outwardly projecting V-shaped blades II'I.' The blades IzI'I include a right-angle trailingv side II8 and an obtusely disposed leading side II9 which on theinner runof the `conveyor is inclined rearwardly and inwardly, so thatzthe i blades 1 may slip past the plants on the guide when these plants are collected or held against discharge from the guide |00. The Vguide |00 also constitutes the bottom wall f a lcollector onwhichthe plants are accumulated and from' which the plants are periodically discharged.

The plants are held against discharge from the `guide and collector |00` by means of a pair lcf` swinging gates |20 and |2|. The ygate |20v is rotatably mounted on the shaft correlated with the rear of the conveyor |04; and thegate f |2| is correlated with the rear of theconveyor |05. The gate |20 has secured to the outer end thereof an arm |22 which extends forwardly and outwardly, and the gate |2| has secured thereto an arm |23 which extends forwardly and outwardly therefrom. The gate |20 at its inner end is formed with a right angle ange |24, and lthe.

gate |2| is formed at its inner end with a right angle flange |25.

' tatably carried by the arm |22, and the opposite end of the bar |21 is slidably mounted vin a guide |29 rotatably carried by the arm |23. The two gates `|20 and |2| are disposed above'theconveying members |04 and |05. In order to pro-` 'vide a means whereby the gates |20 and |2| may* be moved to an open or discharging position, I have provided a pair of discharging .members l The two nanges |24Y and |251 are adapted to abut against each other when the `After the discharging and delivering members |30 and |3| move to the outer runs of thereonveyors |04 and |05, the spring |26 will swing the gates and |2| to their normal closedpositions, and during the time that the deliveringv or discharging members and |3| are moving forwardly on the outer runsof the conveyors |04 and |05, additional plants will be collected on the collector |00. The inclined side I9 of `each blade ||1 will permit -these blades to slide past fthe plants as they are being collected on the collector |00, so that these blades will not force the plants past the gates1|20 and |2|. The outer vertical flanges |03 on the outer side of the collector `|00 prevent the plants from dropping'oi of the collector along the longitudinal sides thereof.

This' attachment has been designed to facilitate the harvesting of peanuts so that the peanuts may be dug from at least two rows atV one time, and these two rows combined into a single row of broken elongated spaced piles with thelpeanuts uppermost so that the peanuts will be readily dried and cured by the sun, and whencuredthe peanuts may be more readily collected than where they are merely left on the upper surface ofthe ground inthe same positions they occupied before being dug up.

It will be evident that with certain changes in the supporting structure, the machine hereinbefore described, can be adapted for use 'in Acon nection with a planter of the conventional type, as an attachment thereto, with the ordinary por tions of the planter such as the sweeps or plows,

thereby saving the necessity of manufacturing certain portions of the hereindescribed unit, a1-

I30 and |3| which are carried by the conveyors |04 and 05, respectively. The dischargingr'nembers |30 and |3| are secured to the conveyors |04" and |05 and are of such length as to overlap each other on the inner runs of the conveyors.

In the use and operation of thisv attachment a or machine, the device is adapted to becoupled thrown rearwardly into the conveyors 65 and 66 by means of the oscillating fingers 54. The plants hang in an inverted position on the horizontal arms 89 of the U-shaped members 81, and are removed from the arms 89 by the rotating pairs of wheels 90 and 9|. The plants are removed from the wheels 90 and 9| by means of the blades ||1. At this time the peanut plants are moved along the forward end of the combined guide and collector |00, and initially the two gates |20 and |2| will be in closed position under the :ten-

sion of the spring |26. At each traverse of the conveying members |04 and |05, the discharging or delivering members |30 and |3| will move along the upper side of the guide and collector |00, moving the collected plants rearwardly, and the pressure exerted on the plants by the delivery members |30 and |3| will force the gates |20 and |2| to open sothat the collected plants may be discharged upside down in a broken elongated I pile at the rear of the guide and collector |00.

though` the unit as shown is the preferable and construction of the invention.

What is claimed'is:

l. A peanut harvester comprising a mobile frame, a pair of plows carried by said frame, rotatable pick-up means rearwardly of said plows, oscillatable means for removing the plants from said pick-up means, a combined guide and collector rearwardly of said oscillatable means, means for conveying the plants from said oscilform - latable means to said guide and collector, means for moving the peanuts lengthwise of said guide and collector, a pair of spring-pressed gates at rearwardly to thereby effect opening of said gates and discharge of the plants in an elongated broken pile on the ground.

2. A peanut 'harvester comprising a mobile.y

frame, a pair of plows carried by said frame, rotatable pick-up means rearwardly of. said plows, a collector'carried by said frame rearwardly of said pick-up means, means conveying the plants from said pick-up means to said collector, a pair of gates at the rear of said collector, and means for periodically emptying said collector rearward ly through said gates.

3. A peanut harvester comprising a mobile frame, plow means carried by said frame, rotatable pick-up means rearwardly of said plow means, a collector rearwardly` of said pick-up means, means conveying the plants from said pick-up means to said collector, said collector including normally closed gate means at Ithe rear thereof, and means effecting periodic opening of said gate means while simultaneously discharging the plants rearwardly from said collector.

4. A peanut harvester comprising a mobile iveying. zmeans.

*5..Inua peanut harvester, a collector, means conveying the `plants to said collector, said means 4including a pair of endless conveyors disposed in a positionwth confronting runs thereof moving rearwardly,means normally holding. the vplants on :zsaidrcollector and between'said confronting runs, .fand means carried bysaid conveyors engageable "Withsaid holding means for periodically `discharging the collected plants from said collector. 6. In arpeanut harvester, a-collector comprising 'an :elongated member having an inverted -V- :shaped central portion and `upturned outer poritions, apair of conveyors having their inner runs `.movable above ysaid central portion, normally closed gates'at the rear end of said elongated .-1 member, and means carried by said conveyors for periodically forcing said gates to open position .while'discharging the plants from saidelongated member.

'1.In` a .peanut harvester, a collector comprisring l an elongated member having an inverted fveshaped central portion and upturned outer portions, a pair of conveyors having their inner .runs movable above said central portion, nornma'lly closed gates at the rear end of said elongated member,r and a projecting member carried by each conveyor, said projecting members being uarranged to confront each other on the inner vruns of said conveyors vto thereby push the colwlected plants rearwardly and forcesaid gates to .'swing to'open position while simultaneously discharging the plants from said collector.

8. A peanut havester comprising a mobile *franca `digging means carried by said frame, a

`collector carried by said frame rearwardly of said digging; means, lrotatablepick-iup :means carried x by said' frame rearwardly-ofv said digging'meansfa pair Aof f conveyors :rearwardly of fsaid; pick-up vmeans, means removing 'the plants ...from said "pick-up meansand delivering the plantsto said conveyors,''a second pair of conveyors: rearwardly ofV said first pair of conveyors,"rotatable toothed members interposed-between the adjacent ends of saidffpairs of conveyors for 'deliveringthe plants ,fromysaidrst to said second pair 0fv conveyors,

#normally closed gates at the'rearfend of said'lcolilector, and'means carried by vsaid second pair of conveyors for pushing the collected'plants Arearwardly and forcing said .gates to open position.

.-9.-In -amachine-of the character :described .including aframe, digging plows carried-byzsaid frame, rotatable pick-up means rearwardlyvof said plows for. lifting the peanutsand.theplants .an .fapertured guide bar, oscillatable.l iingers.l en- 'gagngthrough said apertures for removingthe Apeanuts from the pick-up means, vconveying means for the peanuts, a guide over which the peanuts arexadapted to travel, a rear gate structure forholdingfand collecting the peanuts on rtheguide, 4a rear conveyor vand means carried thereby for .pushing ,the `peanuts collected on the guide through the gate, structure. y

.10. Ina machine of the characterdescribed including a frame, digging. plows carried by said frame, rotatable .pick-up means rearwardly of said plows for lifting .the peanuts and plantsyan apertured guide bar, oscillatable fingers engaging .throughsaid apertures .for removing the peanuts from the pick-up means, conveying means for the peanuts, a guide over which the peanuts `are adapted to travel, a rear gate structure for holding and collectingthe peanuts on'theguidaaa rear conveyor and means carried thereby for pushing the peanuts collected on the guide Ythrough `the gateV structure, said gate structure beingspring pressed.

.11. The device as claimed in claim l0 wherein the said pushing means consists of `.opposed fingers.

EDMUND KRAUS. 

